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- Aug 14, 2019
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- 102
Space mines
- Thread starter Killer_Rabbit
- Start date
- Tags combat
Doesn't really matter if it breaks up, the whole point is to hit mines anyway. Not like I'm planning on reusing it!
And depends on the size of the field I guess, and what is needed to actually set off a mine. If a sizable chunk of debris is enough, then I'm all set!
Although cost may be an issue. Flak cannon would probably be cheaper. But not as fun!
And depends on the size of the field I guess, and what is needed to actually set off a mine. If a sizable chunk of debris is enough, then I'm all set!
Although cost may be an issue. Flak cannon would probably be cheaper. But not as fun!
Fair assumption. Fuse range is probably around explosion radius size. Which is pretty small, unless we get fragmentation wearheads.
Flat head can easily mean hemisphere.
I though of them more as mines you drop to make life harder for someone chasing you, or in a gate/tunnel at stations. For that short range wouldn't be that big of a problem.
Attempt to block any reasonable open 3d space with mines seems like pretty overpriced ineffective weapon.
Flat head can easily mean hemisphere.
I though of them more as mines you drop to make life harder for someone chasing you, or in a gate/tunnel at stations. For that short range wouldn't be that big of a problem.
Attempt to block any reasonable open 3d space with mines seems like pretty overpriced ineffective weapon.
Bolt a reciever, rangefinder, and missile rack to some asteroids with a cheap YOLOL chip that just launches the missiles when the rangefinder is tripped, and disables the launcher when a specific transmitter is in range.
Now you can move through the asteroids safely but anyone that isn't you would have to make a lot of noise blowing up asteroids and/or getting shot by missiles. You could move the defenses to new asteroids as you mine out the old ones with a cargo web and just bolt them on.
Now you can move through the asteroids safely but anyone that isn't you would have to make a lot of noise blowing up asteroids and/or getting shot by missiles. You could move the defenses to new asteroids as you mine out the old ones with a cargo web and just bolt them on.
That's a good idea, except that you'll need to take into account the energy it would require to run a system like that, generators would be expensive and would need to be manually stocked up and if you had renewable energy like solar panels, they could just be shot off from outside the range of the missiles
Have to see the coefficients but I'd wager that a system with no thrusters, a few rockets, and a small amount of electronics could probably obtain decent battery life. Be silly to run it on a generator.
The whole system could be shot from outside its firing range anyway. that's why you put it in an asteroid field. the idea is that the target doesn't see it until it flies past the asteroid, and is then forces after taking one salvo to tiptoe through the minefield or waste ton of time blowing up asteroids to ensure their safety.
Remember the primary purpose of any minefield isn't to kill the enemy. Its to limit their mobility.
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The cost of setting up an efficient minefield in space would probably be prohibitive.
Mining a certain strip of sea or land is possible because in terms of coverage you are dealing with a 2D surface and the environment lends itself to concealment (burying the device on land, and submerging it at sea).
The issue in space is that
a) you are dealing with a 3D volume so coverage is exponentially more expensive (which is only compounded by the fact there isn't exactly an abundance of natural obstacles in space that would reliably make ships favor a certain route rather than another)
b) the device has to have to ability conceal itself built in, most likely further increasing it's sophistication and cost, unless there is some sort of cheap stealth plating readily available in the starbase universe.
I agree the idea of space mines is very cool, however even if you can make a functional space mine, you're probably still better off putting your payloads in missiles or torpedoes instead.
In terms of passive area denial, some sort of automated turret or sleeper drone sounds more practical, save for the fact whatever code they are running is processing a single line every 2 seconds making target acquisition a challenge to say the least. Maybe with a simple "detect and fire" code and self-guided missiles it could work?
Mining a certain strip of sea or land is possible because in terms of coverage you are dealing with a 2D surface and the environment lends itself to concealment (burying the device on land, and submerging it at sea).
The issue in space is that
a) you are dealing with a 3D volume so coverage is exponentially more expensive (which is only compounded by the fact there isn't exactly an abundance of natural obstacles in space that would reliably make ships favor a certain route rather than another)
b) the device has to have to ability conceal itself built in, most likely further increasing it's sophistication and cost, unless there is some sort of cheap stealth plating readily available in the starbase universe.
I agree the idea of space mines is very cool, however even if you can make a functional space mine, you're probably still better off putting your payloads in missiles or torpedoes instead.
In terms of passive area denial, some sort of automated turret or sleeper drone sounds more practical, save for the fact whatever code they are running is processing a single line every 2 seconds making target acquisition a challenge to say the least. Maybe with a simple "detect and fire" code and self-guided missiles it could work?
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As for coverage, remember we've been told that torpedos are a thing coming up, and unlike missiles (which are actually unguided rockets) they can autonomously seek targets. I'm guessing torpedos are probably much slower moving to allow players the attempt at shotting them down.
Assuming the torpedos are cost effective, You could probably get some pretty respectable coverage with some automated torpedo platforms, and the fact people have to shoot down the torpedos with also make it pretty effective at limiting enemy mobility and ensuring they announce their presence.